1. United States
2. Fla.
3. Letter

The presidential pardon of President Biden's son Hunter is a deeply concerning breach of ethics and the rule of law. While pardons are within the president's constitutional powers, using that authority to protect one's own family from legal consequences sets a dangerous precedent that undermines faith in our justice system's impartiality. This pardon decision reeks of the same kind of self-serving behavior that President Biden himself criticized Donald Trump for. It is hypocritical for President Biden, who campaigned on restoring democratic norms, to abuse his presidential powers in such a nakedly nepotistic way for his own family's benefit. This action drags the presidency further into the muck of personal self-interest over public trust. All Americans should be deeply troubled to see the president placing family ties above his duty to faithfully execute the laws. It enablescynicism about a two-track justice system - one for the connected elites and another for ordinary citizens. The pardon mechanically extinghishung Hunter from consequences, but the moral stain on President Biden's legacy is indelible. Public confidence in government's ethical functioning is a precious commoditity that takes decades to build but can be razed in an instant through abuses like this one. The president still has weeks left in office to repudiate this regrettable decision and begin restoring public trust. But left unchecked, this pardon will escalate the cycle of recrimination and norm erosion that daries our democracy. Posterity will not judge this legacy kindly. I urge you to apply maximum oversight pressure to reve this unacceptab lepardon immediately.